The Universe Has a Good Laugh

File this one under the heading of: Cosmic Justice. I just finished reading Marcus Luttrell’s latest book: Service: A Navy SEAL At War. Luttrell is the SEAL whose first book Lone Survivor will almost certainly become a classic of the military genre. If you want to have a better understanding of those who have written a blank check to us all in any amount up to and including their lives, Luttrell’s books are mandatory reading. His most recent book was co-written by James D. Hornfischer, the author of another excellent book on WWII naval warfare: The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. If you ever doubt America and Americans, these books will give you hope; they reveal what we always have been and what the best of us are.

In his most recent book, Luttrell provides a fascinating story about Chris Kyle whose autobiography—American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper In U.S Military History—is also a must read. But the purpose of this brief article is not merely to inform you of four extraordinary books, but to let you know that the universe has a truly ironic sense of humor, and sometimes, the bad guys actually get what they have coming. I’ll let Luttrell take it from here (pp. 282-283):

On a bitterly cold morning in early January of 2009, the war, in a sense, found Chris again. What happened to him not far from his home outside Dallas never made the news, since the town involved didn’t want the publicity, but the incident certainly would have made national headlines had a reporter ever gotten a tip about it.

Chris was minding his own business, fueling his pickup truck at a gas station, when he found himself at gunpoint. Two men holding pistols demanded his truck. Law enforcement will usually advise you to give in to the criminal in a situation like this. And that’s good advice. But Chris took another route. Very calmly and coolly, he sized up which of the men was handling his pistol more comfortably. He put his hands up and told them he was going to reach into the truck to get his keys. Then his hand went under his coat. From a waistband holster, he pulled his Colt 1911. Swinging the pistol under his left armpit, he gave each robber two .45 caliber Hydra-Shock hollow-points to the chest. By the time the cops responded to the 911 call from the terrified lady who had locked herself in a car behind Chris’s truck, the matter was settled. Elapsed time: about ten seconds. The service station’s security cameras caught the whole thing.

I pray for anyone whose life gets so desperate that he or she chooses to resort to a life of crime, but it’s hard to resist a little cold laughter all the same: I mean, how unlucky a dumbass do you have to be to target a random guy for felony armed assault and find out he’s killed more people than smallpox?

In reality, many people “resort” to crime because they think they’re smarter and better than everyone else. They like terrifying and harming others. They contribute nothing to society and waste precious oxygen. These two truly got what they deserved. It is good indeed they chose Chris Kyle rather than the woman in the car behind him. Once again, one of the good guys served his country, making it just that little bit better for us all. If I ever run into Kyle, it will be my honor to buy him four fresh rounds.

UPDATE: 02-17-13, 2030 CST: Some readers have recently suggested that the event reported in Luttrell’s book is entirely fictional. As those who read the comments will note, I’ve printed several comments to that effect, including one by a “Leroy S” listing Wikipedia sourcing purporting to disprove the account. As a teacher of high school English, I don’t allow Wikipedia sources in student research papers as they are entirely unreliable. However, I have not devoted time to running down this incident, nor do I intend to. Life is too short, and Chris Kyle, to my knowledge, never traded on this, or any similar incident to enhance his reputation or to make a buck. He’s beyond that now anyway. Readers are invited to consider the incident as I have faithfully repeated it based on what appears to be a source far more credible than Wikipedia, and take it for what lessons it may teach.

31 thoughts on “The Universe Has a Good Laugh”

If this started happening to criminals on a more regular basis, maybe they would think twice before doing something like this. Good for this guy, bad luck for them. This illustrates another point, one never knows when this sort of thing will happen. Anywhere or anytime.

According to the book, Kyle was able to get the local police to agree to keep the matter quiet, which is easily possible. There is, after all, no such thing as a “right to know” everything that happens in the world, regardless of what the media might have us believe. Considering Kyle’s skills, the story is entirely plausible. Do I know with 100% certainty? No. Take it for what you will.

February 5th. February 10th. Show some respect. He is an American HERO. He was murdered a little over a week ago, just in case you did not know. SEALs, “silent professionals”. Meaning he doesn’t have to prove shit to you ungrateful shitheads. Just shut the fuck up and feel very lucky that there are people like CK that are wiling to protect your freedom.

What a joke! As in the joke is on you. This robbery incident simply NEVER happened. Any violent death is legally ruled a homicide until authorities investigate it and then that county’s ruling authority (usually either the County Coroner or County Prosecutor) makes a determination (and generally following a specific type of hearing, as in a Coroner’s Inquest) that it (they) was a Justifiable Homicide(s). And these are ALL public records! And things like this don’t end up “not getting reported” because some town “didn’t want the publicity”! And there is a tip off there. Why wouldn’t they? This would be great anti-crime publicity, especially since involving an American “hero”! (And on top of everything else, this wasn’t some remote backwoods town, it was located on the outskirts of Dallas – a hugely built up area!)

But the fact is that journalist did become aware of this fabricated myth – not because of leaked news tips from an incident being kept quiet (as if such a thing could happen, with the number of serious felony violations that local authorities would be committing), but the same way that you did… Reading about it in Luttrell’s LATEST book!!!

And… What is it with today’s crop of SEAL’s – like with “Mark Owen”, etc. – leaving quickly their career path, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ONGOING WAR ON TERROR, in order to write a book, or books, on their “let’s quickly give our undocumented story of stuff out there do we can make some beau coup big bucks out of this” – while dislocating their shoulders patting themselves on the back???

Anyway, INVESTIGATIVE journalists who DID look into this “story” looked into news stories from ALL media sources in the Metro Dallas area, including Cleburne itself (the “town” involved… a suburb of Fort Worth, part of the dense Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area and population 30,000, county seat of Johnson County, population 150,000…. AND Cleburne also being the home of the Cleburne Times-Review newspaper). And NOTHING. But then again, the story claims that it was being quietly kept out of the media….

So they proceeded to check with the Cleburne Police Department (from their Records Supervisor up to the Police Chief), and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office (from the Records Supervisor up to the Sheriff), and the Cleburne City Prosecutor’s Office, and the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office (County Prosecutor), and the Johnson County’s Coroner’s Office, and conducted numerous interviews of Cleburne residents… And no such incident ever happened. Repeated request to interview Luttrell about this claim in his book have consistently been refused. And his source for this story? None other than Chris Kyle himself (*)! Additionally, the shots that he made (behind him, under his armpit, with two sets of mid chest double-taps… though some online stories now have evolved it into double taps, from under his armpit, to each supposed perps forehead!) borders on being absolutely impossible. SEAL (or Delta Force or British SAS or whatever). I know. After my hitch with the Marines during the charming Southeast Asia War Games – Vietnam, I went directly into law enforcement in a Metropolitan Area city for 30 years and over 15 years of that with SWAT. During that time period I had the fortune of training – in both advanced tactics and advanced shooting – by members of elite American SWAT Team instructors (LAPD, LASD, Miami Beach SWAT – then one of the tops in the country, Orange County SWAT, instructors from the DOE’s tactical NEST teams, training schools that incorporated not only individuals from above, but also from Secret Service Tactical Units, U.S. Marshall’s Office Tactical Teams and Regional FBI Tactical Teams) as well as from private training companies that specialized in highly advanced tactical and shooting training that incorporated instructors from SEAL Team Six and Red Cell (then SOS Temps under Richard Marcinko and Chris Caracci, then with EMU) and former British SAS (then with H&K’s Training Division which specialized – at his level – in advanced shooting skills with pistol and SMG, to include Instructor Certification) and numerous training courses hosted by the National Tactical Officers Association which utilized individual top caliber tactical / firearms trainers from metro municipal local, county, regional, State and Federal tactical teams)… and also to include attendance in a multi-week training program jointly sponsored by the DoD and the DoJ for local level police tactical units that involved strictly Special Forces ODA personnel (half of a 12-man “A Team). I bring this up simply to illustrate that not only was there no member of our Team – similarly trained though not quite as extensive as I was Team Supervisor and tasked with conducting further advanced training with our Team (and a comprehensive local training schedule) – could NOT make such a shot. Nor, in my absolute opinion, could ANY of the aforementioned instructors or lead instructors.

A shot involving a center mass double tap to one’s rear, under the armpit, to ONE individual perp who was directly behind and almost on top of the shooter? Yes, absolutely. More than one perp? No way.

It would be nice – very nice – if online bloggers and forum posters would do a bit if research BEFORE posting falsehoods on the Internet, but I have come to realize that that is a very minimal likelihood as people pat things that they WANT to hear, that they want to BELIEVE… and The Truth be damned!

(*) And Chris Kyle has been known to “play loose with the facts”, both in his book and in interviews. Though well documented, most Kyle supporters not even realize that his claim as America’s “Top Military Sniper” is just that. A claim. His claums of “X” confirmed kills and an additional “Y” claimed kills are based simply on his own personal claims as the Pentagon and DoD have NEVER released ANY individual sniper tallies as of this time! (And what a horrible book at that, filled with pseudo-courage and egotism and, especially, absolute hatred – not to mention outright war crimes under several International Laws to which our country is a signatory to!)… In addition, in a local radio interview and then later on the Bill O’Reilly Show (“Uh, it tha the TRUTH…. or did you hear it in Fox News?”) Kyle claimed to have punched (by his own words, a sucker punch) and knocked down Jesse Ventura. Not Jesse “The Body” Ventura, pro wrestler, not Jesse Ventura from The Predator but a then out of shape 55-year old Jesse Ventura – and then, in his own words, fled the bar (McPs) and ran off when he heard sirens coming as the help there had called 911! Problem is, it never happened.

In addition to info there, the bar owner, thebar help, and non-SEAL patrons had filed statements as to no such incident AND the Coronado Police Department has NO record of any such 911 call originating from McPs on that date.

And finally, what levels being treat of common sense is lacking in the idea of taking Marine combat veteran who is suffering (tieand being treated for) clinical severe PTSD to a FIRING RANGE to cheer him up and “help out” with that PTSD situation??? Well, as Dr. Phil would say, “How’d that swork out for ya’ ?”…. Especially about the time that multiple gun shots apparently triggered a flashback resulting in said PTSD sufferer shooting and killing Kyle and Kyle’s friend Littlefield.

There’s an awful lot of hate and resentment from this guy for America’s heros.

I always chuckle when leftists say “hey..we support the troops too .. dissent is patriotism, too”, and then smartly pivot to trash them and stab them in the back. I’m old enough (57 yrs) and have served long enough (>20 yrs) to have seen the full political cycle. Some would never risk all for another, be it because lack of courage or misguided principles, but they’ll live luxuriously in the peace and freedoms for which others give their all to purchase.

Most of us know the score before we sign on and accept the risks.

“Patriots” such as Mr. Leroy, of course, will critique us and tell us (preferably NOT face to face OR after we’re dead) how we’re all full of shit.

We just laugh at them; maybe pity them a bit.

RIP: Chris K., Mike M, and all those brothers-in-arms who have given their all. God Bless their families and survivors.

Old Salt dismisses “liberals” who say: “…dissent is patriotism, too.” Really? Because conservatives have done nothing but “dissent” since BH Obama was elected, because now it’s their patriotic duty. Except when it’s not, like when GW Bush was president.

Coincidentally, the author of the book was interviewed today (April 18th) on the Dennis Prager show here in Texas on AM 660. They discussed the story of the two car-jackers that Chris Kyle allegedly killed. The author reaffirmed that the story is indeed true. What we choose to believe is irrelevant, the man is a hero with or without having popped the two thugs. What some of you may not realize is that here in Texas we are slightly more sanguine about the use of deadly force in a righteous shoot. It doesn’t surprise me a whit that LE in Texas didn’t get the vapors over this incident.
“No problem Mr. Kyle, we’ll clean this mess up for you so you can get on your way.”

Hi there and thanks for your comments. This isn’t an issue I intend to spend a great deal of time on, but I’m not aware that anyone, least of all Kyle, ever specifically identified the place where the incident was said to have occurred, and specifically, not Cleburne. In the area of North Texas where it was supposed to have happened, there are a great many places where it might have occurred, and quite a few counties, sheriffs, DAs, etc.

“..and Chris Kyle, to my knowledge, never traded on this, or any similar incident to enhance his reputation or to make a buck. He’s beyond that now anyway.”

The truth ALWAYS matters. I looked at this man as a hero and it matters to me if he told elaborate lies to enhance his image. That is not what a hero does.

So, you may not care about the truth of the matter, but for those who do the link above confirms that the gas station shooting is not true according to Cleburne Police Department Det. Kelly Summey, Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford and District Attorney Dale Hanna.

The saddest thing about this is people’s willingness to consume and defend whatever lies are fed to them by thier “heros” even in the face of undeniable evidence. Sad.